


One of Us Now

by CastielFollowMe



Series: Single Dad Shiro Verse [103]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Amputation, Car Accidents, Denial, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 16:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15417027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastielFollowMe/pseuds/CastielFollowMe
Summary: After a horrific car accident, Keith has more in common with his uncle Kuro and his dad, now more than ever.





	One of Us Now

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "just watched season 6 and wowkinda stunned. Anyway! Love your single dad shiro verse and I saw this think on instagram about Keith missing a leg and I was,ANGST. So if your still doing prompts then maybe Keith could join the prosthetic club with his unclekuro and daddy shiro ? It doesn’t have to be from the military it could be in an explosion or hit by a car?I don’t know just an idea,thought it was fitting , have a nice day!!Xxalso sorry if you’ve been sent this a lot . My tumblr is a bitch."

Shiro had lost an arm to being a prisoner of war.

Kuro had lost an arm _and_ a leg trying to rescue his brother.

Both had lived their lives as best as they could, despite being a few limbs short. However, with practice, time and patience, they were both living life just as anyone else would be. Granted there were still hard days for the both of them. Days where Shiro could still feel the agonized burning where his right arm used to be. Days where Kuro could still feel the blade of a machete hacking at his leg. Days where the pain got too much for either of them.

Yes there were bad days, but mainly there were good days and the both of them learned to live with their disabilities.

Shiro had seen many veterans in similar situations as he and Kuro, after services in the war. Through his service dog agency, he knew there were plenty of others in a similar situation as he and Kuro. In fact, Shiro had seen many patients who were in the same situation as Shiro and Kuro, and yet they had never been a part of the military. Shiro had seen first hand _victims_ of car crashes, illnesses, burns and birth defects. He knew that there were so many other people who were struggling just as he was, and they had not even dedicated their life to service. Yet each and every one of them were living life to the fullest and weren’t letting anything stop them.

It left Shiro in constant awe.

Still, Shiro and Kuro had lived in their strange but big family as the only ones of their kind. They had lived a long time, being the only one with prosthetics, and the two had been content that way. While both of them were fully capable men, who could still do _anything_ , they didn’t want others to suffer the same pains that they did or struggle everyday as they did.

No one expected anything to happen to their family.

No one expected Keith to become just like his father and uncle.

_No one expected the crash._

x.V.x

It was a freak accident. One that couldn’t have been avoided no matter what they tried. It had been one of those moments that felt impossible, and yet was entirely possible. An accident that had left many people scarred and one person changed forever.

Keith was driving home after a lesson at his dance studio. There had been rain that night so Keith had been extra careful driving home to his husband and daughter. He was excited to get home to his little family, which had grown from just him and his husband to him, his husband and their daughter just over nine months ago. Krolia, his daughter, would be turning a year old in a little over a month and Keith had been so excited. He’d been planning this party with his husband and his father for weeks now, and after some haggling from his father, Keith hadn’t felt that he was going overboard with his daughter’s first birthday. Apparently his own dad had been just the _same_ way for his first birthday.

Keith had been so excited about his plans that he had missed the car swerving into his lane. He hadn’t had time to avoid the oncoming car, but his reactions had allowed him to swerve both of their cars to the side of the road and into a phone line.

At first Keith hadn’t been too hurt and was more dazed than anything.

Then the phone line tipped over and smashed onto his car, literally pinning Keith down in his car.

His thigh and leg was burning with a searing pain that left his vision white before Keith had completely blacked out.

There was nothing.

_So much nothing._

Then there were blurred instances of pains. Moments where Keith could barely make out words and faces until his eyes were forced shut again. He thought that he had woken up several times do to being _so hot_ and the pain. Each time a new face was in his way and multiple voices were mumbling around him. Each time Keith felt himself fall back into the darkness, if only to escape the pain. Until he woke up.

It was slow and groggy for Keith.

For a while, Keith couldn’t even tell if he was still asleep or really awake yet. _Was this all a dream or was it real?_ Keith’s eyes opened and closed several times before he could keep them open for longer than a few seconds.

His husband’s face was the first to greet him. Red, with bloodshot eyes and a watery smile. He was the first to greet Keith with a warm welcome before Keith could see Krolia properly. She beamed upon seeing her father awake, but she was thankfully too young to realize the severity of the situation and simply babble incoherently to Keith. Of course, Keith weakly smiled and tried his best to listen as intently as possible to his daughter.

He accepted hugs and kisses from his husband and daughter before his husband excused them to allow Keith’s father and family to enter. If Keith had thought that his husband had looked _horrible_ then his father looked _atrocious._

Shiro’s nearly white hair was limp against him. There were dark, deep circles under his eyes that told Keith his father hadn’t slept in _days._ His skin wasn’t it’s usual, rich olive color, but rather ghastly and pale like a ghost. His hands were shaking as they caressed Keith’s face and he was already blubbering before Keith could greet him.

“Oh my baby. My baby,” Shiro croaked shakily, as he ran his hands all over Keith’s face and arms. Keith smiled weakly up at his father, glad to see him after so long.

“Hey dad,” He whispered hoarsely. He nearly winced at how bad his voice sounded but luckily, Shiro was already shoving a small cup of water at his son’s lips.

“Oh sweetheart,” Shiro whispered softly with a sniffle. He ran his fingers through Keith’s hair once Keith had finished drinking. Immediately, Keith leaned into Shiro’s touch when the cool metal of the prosthetic hit his scalp. _It felt so good._ “I’m so happy to see those blue eyes of yours.”

“Surprised you weren’t here firs’.” Keith admitted softly.

Shiro chuckled wetly, but the noise sounded so _forced_ and wrong coming from his father. Usually, Shiro’s laughs were warm and welcoming.

“Your family deserved to see you first.” Shiro replied, hand never leaving Keith’s hair.

“You’re mor’ th’n jus’ family.” Keith mumbled, already feeling his consciousness beginning to slip away.

“Krolia had been quite a fussy little girl without her papa putting her to bed every night.” Shiro said with a wave of his other hand. Keith sighed, knowing that his father was only going to keep avoiding his statement. He was too polite like that. “She could really put you a run for your money with her tantrums. I think she and your sweetie deserved to be the first to greet you when you woke up.”

“Fine.” Keith relented. He knew that his father wasn’t about to give up and admit that he wanted Keith to see his husband and daughter before anyone else, despite Shiro being his _father_ for the past thirty or so years. “Jus’ glad yo’r here.”

“There’s nowhere else that I’d rather be. You gave us all quite the scare sweetheart.” Shiro said softly as he continued to run his hands through Keith’s hair.

“Sorry.” Keith mumbled tiredly and Shiro sighed.

“It wasn’t your fault. None of us, _ever_ thought that this would happen to you.” Shiro said and Keith groggily moved around on his bed. It was then that he began to realize that his lower right half was feeling lighter than usual. In fact, it was leaving him more unbalanced, if anything. He frowned headily and tried to wiggle his legs around in order to get a better feel of what was happening.

“Keith…” Shiro whispered hoarsely when Keith continued trying to wiggle his leg. It felt _too_ light. Like…like something was missing.

Keith’s heart jumped into his throat and he began scrambling to remove the blankets from around him. His leg was too light.

“Keith, please calm down.” Shiro pleaded. He tried forcing Keith back into the bed but he was shoved away by a weak Keith, making his heart crack once more for his son. _Why did this have to happen to him?_

When Shiro saw that Keith wouldn’t be calming down anytime soon and that he would only continue to fight against Shiro until he could see what he was feeling, Shiro knew he had to intervene. _It would be more than just a shock. It would be life changing._

Slowly, with fingers more gentle than Shiro had used in _years,_ Shiro slowly unwrappped the blanket from around Keith’s body. Keith was beginning to calm down, only because he was relieved that his dad knew exactly what he wanted. His dad always seemed to have that sixth sense when it came to Keith, ever since they were kids. Keith could feel his heart hammering loudly in his chest and for some reason a feeling of dread was beginning to settle in his stomach. He couldn’t explain the heavy, dreadful feeling within his chest.

Then Shiro pulled the blanket off of Keith’s lower body and he saw…

… _Nothing._

The space where his right leg was supposed to be was _empty._ There was nothing there. Just his thigh wrapped heavily in white gauze that stood out against the sheets. But below the knee, there was just _nothing._

Keith blinked once. Twice. Ten times.

Still nothing changed.

He glanced over to the left and sure enough Keith could see his thigh, his calf, his ankle and his foot. His left leg was covered in smaller cuts and bruises but it was _there._ Then when he looked back over to his right leg, there was still nothing.

“My leg…” Keith said softly. Shiro could feel his heart sink to the floor and he gently let the blankets go in order to sit down beside Keith and rub his son’s back. Keith’s expression was so _vulnerable._ So open and so much like Shiro’s when he had returned from service all those decades ago. Keith looked so much like Shiro then that it terrified him. 

Shiro hadn't dealt with the loss of his arm well.

“Keith, it’s gonna be okay. You’re going to be alright.” Shiro whispered as he continued to rub Keith’s back. Right then, Keith looked so much younger than his thirty years of age.

Keith’s hand shook where he was touching the empty air of where his right lower leg was supposed to be. Shiro wished that he could go back in time. To stop Keith from enduring this pain as he had. But he couldn’t. He couldn't and he needed to make sure Keith knew he would be okay.

“My leg? G-Gone?” Keith asked quietly.

“The pole that fell on your car pierced through the roof and went through your leg. The doctors had to cut the pole and then remove it here in the hospital.” Shiro said shakily. He could remember with vivid details how the doctor had described the incident when explaining everything to him and Kuro. “The doctor’s tried to save your leg but - but there was too much damage. They had to amputate.” Shiro continued to rub his son’s back when Keith’s shaking only increased. Still no tears fell from Keith’s eyes, no anger filled his expression. Nothing.

“Oh.” Keith simply said and his hand fell down on the beg beside his leg.

Shiro and Keith remained in silence for a few more moments.

“Keith…”

“I’ll be okay,” Keith finally said before Shiro could say anything else. Shiro bit his lip when Keith still hadn’t expressed any sort of emotion about the situation. He should be upset, angry or feeling _something._ Keith then turned to Shiro and Shiro felt sick to his stomach upon seeing the smile on Keith’s face.

“I’ll be fine. You are. Kuro is. This is nothing.” Keith said, smiling straining on cracked lips. Shiro’s heart sunk even lower if that was possible.

“Keith, this is _not_ nothing. This is your leg!” Shiro protested hotly. However, Keith smiled once more and shrugged.

“It’ll be like you. I shouldn’t be too upset over it. It’s nothing big, so don’t worry.” Keith replied. Shiro’s hands clenched into fists at his side. _This wasn’t how Keith was supposed to deal._ Shiro knew that everyone healed differently in these types of situation. Some people were sad. Some got angry (like Shiro had). Some even remained optimistic, but Keith was _pretending._ He wasn’t accepting or even trying to work out his emotions.

He was _pretending_ because he was comparing his situation to Shiro’s.

“No!” Shiro finally slammed his fist down on the small tray table beside Keith’s bed. Keith’s eyes widened at his father’s anger and Shiro saw the mask beginning to crack on Keith’s face. “Keith _nothing_ about this situation is something that you should brush aside. You’re allowed to grieve. You’re allowed to be upset, angry, or even happy! But you can’t pretend that this hasn’t happened to _you.”_ Shiro started angry, only to be pleading by the end.

“But you…”

“I was a _fucking_ mess when I lost my arm.” Shiro cut Keith off before he could get any further. The smile was completely gone from Keith’s face now but he was actually looking at Keith. “I didn’t deal with my arm lost and losing Kuro. I was in denial and depressed for so long because I kept thinking that this didn’t matter. I was so _numb and_ I didn’t deal. If it hadn’t been for you and my parents…”

Shiro could see the beginnings of tears beginning to form in Keith’s eyes and he slowly pulled his son in for a hug.

“Keith you’re allowed to feel however you want to in this situation without comparing your situation to mine or even Kuro’s. No one’s trauma is worse than another’s and you should never feel like you cannot express your emotions because Kuro and I are fine now.” Shiro said softly. He could feel Keith’s body beginning to tremble once more. “However, you are going to be okay. This won’t stop you from doing _anything_ that you want in your life. You’re okay and this changes nothing.”

It was then that Shiro heard it.

A small sob.

And his entire body deflated but he continued to hold Keith tightly as Keith hurried his face into Shiro’s shirt.

“You’re gonna come out of this accident stronger than ever, and we are all going to be here by your side. Every step of the way.” Shiro whispered and Keith’s was trembling with _loud_ , ugly sobs.

But for the first time since Keith’s accident, Shiro knew that things would be okay.

x.V.x

Life was a hard adjustment for Keith after the accident. He was no longer the fastest and he couldn’t keep up with Krolia sometimes when she wanted to play or was being cheeky. Instead, his husband would laugh and push Keith down into a chair before luring Krolia into a false sense of victory by having snacks on hand.

Dancing lessons had been a major problem for months after Keith’s surgery.

In the beginning Keith had wanted a prosthetic right away, despite the doctors instructions to beginning physical therapy beforehand. It took Keith’s husband, Shiro _and_ Kuro to explain to Keith why he needed to wait.

So Keith waited and in the beginning he was more frustrated than _anything._

Even with crutches, Keith could hardly stand more than an hour at a time before he needed to sit down. Which meant that Keith’s lessons were mostly taught from his chair as he tried to find videos and explain new dance moves to the students. Thankfully not a single parent had pulled their child out of Keith’s lessons, despite his accident, and in fact his students had been more than excited when he returned. However, having to sit more than usual, Keith had been able to come up with more routines that involved a chair, and he’d come to understand the perspectives of his wheelchair bound students. 

They were the stars of the show this time.

Explaining Keith’s amputation and leg to Krolia and the other kids had gone _better_ than anticipated. Krolia had dubbed Keith an official member of her insanely awesome, “Half Robot” family. She’d taken up her duty of caring for her dad ten times more than before, and Keith’s husband would do nothing to stop her other than video tape her demanding that Keith sit down and take a break in her own baby language.

It wasn’t always easy, but Keith wouldn’t have changed his life for anything.

By the time that his prosthetic was ready, Keith was comfortable with his missing limp. Though he still sometimes felt the phantom pains of his leg, or he still sometimes took more breaks than he was used to, Keith was learning to live just as his dad and uncle had but in his _own_ way.

And when his new prosthetic had arrived and Keith was re-learning how to walk again, his entire family was there by his side.

With his dad front and center.

_The guy’s my hero._


End file.
